Introduction
How exciting, you got your hands on a Framework Laptop 13 DIY Edition! This guide will walk you through each step from unboxing to powering on your laptop so you can start using it right away. As with all of our guides, make sure you read the directions in each step and view each image first.
Please note this guide is for the Framework Laptop 13 (AMD Ryzen™ 7040 Series) only, if you are setting up one our Intel Core Laptops please refer to the appropriate guide here.
After finishing the Quick Start Guide, if you’re installing Windows, check out our Windows 11 Installation Guide and don’t forget to install the Framework Laptop Driver Bundle. You can also check out our Linux compatibility page for the distros that work great on the Framework Laptop.
If you have questions or run into any issues, check out the Support pages.
Tools
Parts
No parts specified.
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The first step is to open the box and identify the contents, the exact contents will vary depending on how you configured your Laptop, but inside the box you will find:
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Bezel
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Input Cover
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Framework Laptop 13
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Power Adapter
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Expansion Cards
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Storage, Memory, any additional Expansion Cards and importantly the Framework Screwdriver!
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Note that depending on the retail packaging for Memory , this may be located underneath the Power Adapter instead.
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Start by unpacking the box containing your Framework Screwdriver, Memory and Storage, these are all together in the box found underneath the Laptop.
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You may also want to remove the Expansion Cards from their boxes at this stage too!
Note to Framework & users just beginning this set-up adventure:
If you’re like me, and you don’t do this sort of thing frequently, then you don’t have USB drives laying around just waiting to be used. Before you get started, make sure you purchase a USB drive that has at least 8 GB of free space. It will be important to have one the laptop is assembled and you get to the part of installing your OS.
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Open the Laptop as pictured and you will find a clear protective cover as pictured, this can simply be lifted off and set aside.
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This protective cover is made of post-consumer recycled PET and is highly recyclable. We recommend this can be disposed of with other household plastic recycling.
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Please make sure you are using DDR5 Memory as DDR4 Memory is not compatible with this Mainboard.
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There are black mylar sheets covering the memory slots. These can be gently bent up to insert your memory modules.
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Insert the Memory module into the Mainboard by aligning the notch on the Memory module with the notch on the socket. Note that for Channel 1 the notch is reversed so the Memory stick may need to be inserted "upside down" with the chips facing down depending on the brand used.
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Make sure that the memory is fully inserted before proceeding.
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Once the module is fully inserted, it will rise up at a 20-degree angle. Gently press it down towards the Mainboard until the clips located at the top and bottom of the receptacle snap into place.
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The first boot after installing a new Memory module will take longer than normal, as the system prepares itself for the new module.
info on SODIMM sticks compatibility: https://knowledgebase.frame.work/what-ra...
I ordered a single 16GB RAM module, and my laptop would not boot with the RAM in channel 0. I would get 40 seconds of nothing, then the side LEDs would flash white, 12 green flashes of diagnostics, then orange to indicate the post code flashing. Post code 0 and 2 (flash 1 and 3) would be blue while the rest were green.
Installing the RAM in channel 1 resolved the issue. I don't know if this is by design, or if channel 0 is damaged on mine, but it was definitely confusing for a bit!
It might be trivial, but it'd be nice to have unboxing instruction as well:
Flip the plastic tray over, bend it by holding the extra extension part, the memory module should fall out easily.
Before I figured it out, I tried prying the module out with my finger and pushing it from behind, it flew out and landed hard 💔
Make sure your RAM is 5600MHz if using AMD!
Thks for that!
Xavier -
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Using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver, unscrew the fastener that is used to secure the Storage module.
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Align the notch on the Storage module with the notch on the socket and slide the module into the Mainboard.
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Once properly inserted the module will rise up at a 20-degree angle.
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Using one finger gently hold the Storage module down to the Mainboard and use your other hand to screw in the fastener using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver.
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Be sure to not over-tighten the fastener.
Not sure if it's my particular unit, but SSD does not "slide" in like the video, it had to be wiggled in even at the correct angle. The memory in comparison, slides smoothly.
Thanks for this comment--I had the same problem and only figured it out because of the info you provided. To the copywriters maintaining this guide, I'd recommend updating the video to show what the process might look like if you need to wiggle the SSD into the slot.
Shannon -
The already mounted screw in the delivered laptop was much too tight to loose with the given Framework screwdriver. I got it out using a high-quality Wera TX6 screwdriver, which had a much tighter/better fit than a TX5 bit.
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Gently place the Input Cover keyboard side down on the Bottom Cover as indicated on the image. The cover should be about an inch and a half away from the bottom of the Mainboard so that you can comfortably install the Touchpad Cable.
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Note: The orientation of the Input Cover matters. Study the first image in this step to ensure you are properly attaching the cover.
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Locate the loop on the end of the Touchpad Cable and insert your finger into it.
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Using slight force, connect the Touchpad Cable by aligning it to the socket on Mainboard. You should hear it click into place once properly connected.
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Before closing up the laptop, make sure that the Touchpad end of the Touchpad Cable is fully seated in the receptacle.
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The cable should be inserted far enough that the white line almost touches the receptacle.
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If it is not inserted far enough, you'll need to flip up the black latch on the other side of the connector, slide the cable in further, and then close the black latch again.
@abc the green arrow indicates the direction (misleadingly) to open the black latch towards left. I think framework meant to show the "force" from right to left but from underneath the latch. The arrow should rather point upwards imho.
@pyoorkate the dsign hasn´t changed. You`re confusing the touch pad SIDE with the touchpad CABLE ends.
The touchpad side (end) came already assembled so no need to do anything. The white line is there just hard to spot when the side is already properly fitted :)
It appears the design of this component has changed, there's now a mylar sheet over the top, and no white line to check.
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Once the Touchpad cable is secured to the Mainboard, flip the Input Cover over the Bottom Cover so that the keyboard is facing up and attach it to the Bottom Cover by aligning the top and bottom edges of both covers.
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Tip: The covers are magnetic and should fit into one another easily. If you feel any resistance simply lift the Input Cover up and try again.
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Note that the Input Cover will not sit entirely flat until the bottom fasteners are tightened. The bottom right corner is slightly lifted to make it easy to remove the Input Cover.
If the keyboard seems a bit loose, don't worry; it will be tightened to the laptop in the next step.
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If installing a new Bezel, remove the liner pieces on the bottom of the Bezel to expose the adhesive.
My bezel seemed to install well but the lower left hand corner ended up becoming quite stuck and warped for some reason (perhaps how a particular cable was positioned near the microphone).
It jammed and was almost impossible to open. I have had to detach the lower hinge of the bezel for now and will need a replacement.
Not the best experience.
Also had issues with the left corner of the bezel. What happened was I was trying to route the left corner cable below the hinge! That was stupid of me, but it seemed like the appropriate place for the cable to go without much knowledge of laptop bezels. I did fully read and follow the guide, and had the right cable properly fitted; but for some reason it seemed the left cable was supposed to fit under the hinge.
For anyone who might run into the same problem like I did, here is a picture of how the left cable is supposed to be properly seated:
Also, to be fair, the cable was already a bit seated under the hinge when I first opened the laptop, which led me to assume that was how it was supposed to be.
the guide says "the ezel" instead of "the bezel" at the end of the 4th bullet point.
For me this was really simple and took about 30 seconds.
installed the bezel carefully, or so i thought, when i was finished closed the lid (top cover still off) and the captive screws levered the screen which caused the hinge cover at the bottom of the bezel to just shear off - awesome...i had to re-separate the bezel completely and install from the hinge cover first and then tip the laptop so the captive screws didn't catch in order to check the function again, working now but i've also got half a hinge cover separated from the bezel. Kind of took the shine off my laptop i've been waiting 4 months for
Surprisingly, the bezel was by far the hardest item to install for me. I found that it's easier if done without the top cover, however, be very careful to keep the screws fully seated in when moving the hinge - they can lodge themselves in the wrong spot and cause damage otherwise. This was also pointed out in a comment below, but it should really be a warning at the top of each guide.
As many have noted, the difficult part is getting the lower corners to sit flush. After a lot of tries the best technique I found is:
- release tension from the cables by taking them out from some of their holding brackets
- route them so that, with the laptop sitting flat and horizontal, their highest point is no higher than the hinge's. The picture in the guide shows how to do that - the hinge edges are skinnier than the rest, and you're trying to wrap around that tiny bit of space that they leave.
Even then it's not perfect and my bottom right corner wants to sit a hair higher than the others.
I also had an issue when placing the bottom left of the bezel onto the screen. A cable connecting to the display was causing the the bezel to just not sit flush once it was closed. If you opened it with the cable misaligned it would cause the bottom left side of the bezel to jut out and really look like it would snap. If this guide could provide a picture on how the wiring of the bottom left should look it would be super helpful.
I managed to figure out how to position it after some troubleshooting, I just removed the bezel and kept closing the lid with the cable in a new spot. When the cable didn't pop out the back I tried it with the bezel installed, then closed the lid, then checked the back of the casing. I still noticed the bezel wasn't flush but after just pushing it up against the case it managed to snap into position and now seems to work fine after opening/closing the lid.
If the new bezel being aligned was not black it would more clearly demonstrate how to attach the new bezel.
I incurred two problems.
When installing my new purple bezel, I removed the left adhesive completely from the bottom of the Bezel when removing the liner piece. I was able to REapply it as it was sticky both sides.
I had more issues with the left hinge, in fact it snapped when I initially closed it. I was terrified but was thankfully able to dislodge it. I bloody well hope this will not effect the performance.
Very poor quality indeed, cheap flimsy plastic.
I did not trust myself to continue setting up my Framework Laptop 13 (13th Gen Intel Core) and put it away until I had more confidence.
The bezel is cheap plastic and will break easy… if it happens to break it will start to cause issues. Will update with a pic, bezel definitely needs to be redesigned or done already assembled.
Two captive screws on the bottom of the laptop, near hinges, can mess with opening the screen fully if they are extended too far. Try to push them up (towards the motherboard) to avoid interference. In my case they even left a dent on the inner edge of the screen metal lid.
On your picture, you already have installed the keyboard, which would be the next step in the process. Do the screws still stick out without the keyboard installed?
Same issue here, it somehow fixed itself after pressing the bezel a bit. It does click when I open the lid, though. I think the wire might need some tape?
The bottom right corner of my bezel is not fully pressed down along the display. It's only 1 or 2 mm raised, but it is noticeable when looking at the display from a side view.
Do not be alarmed if this happens to you as it seems others have experienced something similar based on posts in the community. I spent way too long repeatedly taking off and placing off the bezel to try and resolve it. All other edges of the bezel lay perfectly.
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Open the Framework Laptop 180 degrees to attach the Bezel.
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Starting with the bottom of the Bezel which covers the hinges and cables, align the corners of the Bezel to the display and place it down. The Bezel is attached by magnets and should easily click into place.
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We recommend feeling along each edge of the Bezel to make sure it is seated correctly before proceeding, if it doesn't seem to be sitting flush, lift it back up and try lowering it into place again.
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Do not try to install the Bezel without first opening the Laptop fully, doing so could damage the Bezel and potentially the Display.
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If the bottom of the Bezel doesn't seem to fit, lift it back off and check that the cables are seated correctly on both sides. If the Bezel doesn't seem to fit at all, please contact support and do not force it into place.
At the left hinge, the cable seems to belong on the side closer to the display. Mine was on the opposite side, causing the bezel not to fit well, and after closing and reopening the lid, the bezel tore in this corner. It took a lot of wiggling and adjusting to free the bezel and move the cable to its correct position before the lid could be closed and opened easily.
"Starting with the bottom of the Bezel which covers the hinges and cables, align the corners of the Bezel to the display and place it down. The Bezel is attached by magnets and should easily click into place."
But the "bottom of the Bezel which covers the hinges and cables" is the bent/angled, part with the "framework" logo on it, no?
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Close the Framework Laptop and place it upside down to reveal the fasteners on the Bottom Cover.
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Using the T5 bit in the Framework Screwdriver, screw all 5 fasteners back into the Bottom Cover.
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Be sure to not over-tighten the fasteners.
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Insert the Expansion Cards of your choice. With keyboard face up, this configuration supports USB4/DP for the upper left and right slots, USB 3.2 only for the lower left slot and USB 3.2/DP for the lower right slot. All ports can be used for charging via USB. A diagram of Expansion Card compatibility can be found here.
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Note that USB-A Expansion Cards when placed in the back two slots will result in higher power consumption. Check the KB article for more detail on this.
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The text, logo, and QR code on the Expansion Card must be facing down (facing the laptop). Slide the Expansion card into the bay. Using two or more fingers push the card until into the bay until it clicks.
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You will have to use a slight amount of force to ensure proper installation of the Expansion Cards.
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Plug your power cable into the USB-C Expansion Card.
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Open the lid on your Framework Laptop and press the power button.
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Note that your first boot will take a while before the logo comes up on screen as the system does memory training. The more memory you've installed, the longer this could take (on the order of a minute or two with 64GB!)
My experience - I tried to power on and saw a blank screen 20+mins.
I decided to reseat the memory, but when unscrewing, the screen came on! I am reasonably sure that I didn't fit the Keyboard properly. The power button should "click". When I tried to press it, nothing was responding, but reseating the laptop fixed that.
Otherwise, painless installation.
You need to add which slots are compatible with the other expansion cards, i.e. ethernet, HDMI, etc.
Also, I turned my computer on and it says "default boot device missing or boot failed. Insert Recovery Media and Hit any key. Then select 'Boot manager' to choose a new Boot Device or to Boot Recovery Media". I never had a logo pop up.
Ok, I just read the warning ahead but I didn't have a logo pop up at all so I don't know if I'm just running into the error mentioned below or if this is something else on top of that...
Well, since my touchpad doesn't seem to be working maybe it's that...
Pressed "enter" and everything is fine.... why isn't that in the instructions????
First power-on I saw a blank screen for a couple minutes and decided to short-press and then long-press (hold for 15 seconds) the power button to shut completely off since I wasn't seeing any BIOS or startup diagnostics. After coming back and reading the note in this step, I became concerned that I shut it down prematurely so the next time I started it, I waited...and waited... after a couple hours, I decided to go to bed and it still hadn't come up with anything on the display after over 8 hours. Power showed on the power switch, and the CPU fan was doing PWM cycles up and down.
I decided to shut down and re-seat the memory. That did it!
After re-seating the memory and powering on, I got a screen flicker in a few seconds, a blank screen for ~2 minutes, and then a "framework" splash and diagnostics.
my experience:
I plugged in USB-C PD in the upper left slot, then pressed the power button immediately. I waited some time, complete silence, nothing happened. In hindsight I now know that the startup hadn't started at all because the power button light did not light up at all.
Turns out that if you plug in power and press the power button too fast, the system will not have yet reached a state to actually register the power button pressing.
You will know the laptop is ready for power button pressing once the LED next to the USB-C slot is lit up (orange in my case). Then you can press the power button. The laptop will indicate that it is starting up by turning on the light of the power button immediately (white light edges around the power button).
When I first plugged in my machine I didin't know about this step and started pressing the power button & unplugging the power to trigger a power cycle. I must have inturrupted the RAM process doing this because I ended up waiting with a blank screen for about 15 minutes. I saw somewhere else that it shouldn't take more than a minute or two so unplugged the machine and held down the power button for 10 seconds which restarted the machine. After I plugged it back in and turning it on, I could hear the fans whirring within 10 seconds or so, shortly after that I got a prompt asking for boot media.
Memory training seems to be taking far longer than "on the order of a minute or two", even with only 16 GB. @squid @matthartley What is the maximum duration here?
What is the maximum boot time that should be expected with 64Gb of memory?
A maximum is needed to understand when additional troubleshooting is needed.
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As the Windows 11 Installer does not include the necessary drivers for the AMD RZ616 Wi-Fi card, you will need to create install media which removes the requirement for an online Microsoft Account during set up by following this guide.
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Installing Linux: Check the links below for recommended Linux distros and installation instructions:
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Ok, what the !&&* did I do wrong -- The screen I'm seeing isn't in your How-to guide at all. There's nothing directing me, telling me what to do next now that I'm at the "insyde"/framework booting page. I selected "boot manager" as I was prompted to do earlier and inside there are no options... I don't know if this is because I haven't inserted the USB I should apparently have already put together or if I'm missing something.
Ok, I get that your typical customer would know stuff about computers but there's literally no note, warning, or anything on the configuration/shop page to indicate I need any particular level of knowledge in order to participate in the DIY experience. If you guys plan on growing your consumer base, you're going to get more people like me, who don't know anything and assume your guides are good enough for a true beginner, no previous experience required.
Hi Courtney - You're right that this step is lacking in key details, but you didn't really do anything wrong. You need to turn the computer back off, then insert your USB, then turn the computer back on with it already inserted, and it should go directly to the windows installer. (don't be discouraged - this is also my first time so it took me some time to figure out!)
Shannon -
just found in the community forum two other people who did exactly what I did, all because you instructed us to press the power button before installing Windows (I think?? I'm still trying to find the how-to guide or point at which I was supposed to do that before turning the computer on)
Courtney -
I used the Microsoft steps here to Shift F10 and install the entire Framework Driver package: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/wind...
To get the drivers, I ran the Framework Driver package on the machine I built the Windows installation media from, which decompresses all drivers while it’s running, grabbed that directory and copied that to the installation media to <media drive letter>:\frame.work then ran pnputil /add-driver <USBDriveLetter>:\frame.work\*.inf /subdirs
/subdirs isn’t in the Microsoft doc, but it enumerates all sub folders and adds all the drivers as OEM drivers to Windows.
The small benefit of this approach is if you want to use your Microsoft account, you get everything setup from right from OOBE.
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After installing your Operating System you will also need to install the latest Framework Laptop Driver Bundle.
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We recommend checking that you are running the latest Framework Laptop BIOS too.
Why isn't this and the previous step before the step to turn on the computer?? How was I supposed to know I would already need things installed on my own before this setup without you telling me so??
I don't mean that I didn't know I was going to have to install Windows, but you never told me how to actually do the installation onto the computer I'm purchasing.
Are we missing some commas?
After installing your Operating System you, will also need to install the latest Framework Laptop Driver Bundle.
We recommend checking that you are running the latest Framework Laptop BIOS, too.
Thank you for creating the guide!
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3 Comments
Fantastic! I've built 3D printers before with DIY kits such as the Prusa i3 Mk3 and compared to that, this was very easy and fast.
Double check that note about the RAM being under the power supply. Wish they would put a note in the box about it...
Tanner Davis - Reply
Note to Framework & users just beginning this set-up adventure:
If you’re like me, and you don’t do this sort of thing frequently, then you don’t have USB drives laying around just waiting to be used. Before you get started, make sure you purchase a USB drive that has at least 8 GB of free space. It will be important to have one the laptop is assembled and you get to the part of installing your OS.
Eclectic - Reply